A Day in Fontainebleau

Take a deep exploration of the city where “Paris goes to breathe

- Victoria Fitoussi

(photos by Victoria Fitoussi)

The train leaves Paris and within minutes the city falls away. The skyline softens into open fields, small villages and stretches of forest. By the time you step onto the platform at Fontainebleau-Avon, the air feels different. It is lighter and calmer. People have time to look you in the eye.

Fontainebleau is where French kings once came to rest and where world-class climbers still come to test themselves on sandstone boulders. Just over an hour's journey from Paris, it is close enough for a spontaneous day trip and far enough to feel like another France entirely. In one day, you can wander royal halls in the morning, spend the afternoon walking through a forest, and still have time for a long lunch before heading back. For Parisians, this is where you come when you need to take a breath.

For me, it is personal. My father moved here 10 years ago after living all over France, from central villages to Paris, to Montargis and then to the mountains. I'd visited them all, and we both agree: Fontainebleau is something exceptionally special.

The Château's Park: The Town's Backyard

The Château de Fontainebleau is Fontainebleau's crown jewel. French monarchs lived here for more than seven centuries.

François I brought in Italian artists to usher in the Renaissance. Napoleon signed his first abdication here before leaving for Elba. Thirtysix kings and two emperors left their mark, adding wings, galleries and gardens.

The park and gardens are what make the château unforgettable. They are not just an attraction; they are the town's shared yard. The formal French gardens open into wide lawns lined with clipped trees. The English Garden curves softly around ponds and shaded paths.